November 1, 2018Health, PressReleaseComments Off on Sexual health experts meet in Auckland to discuss challenges

Press Release – New Zealand AIDS Foundation

Health experts from across the Asia Pacific will gather in Auckland from 1-3 November for the 2018 IUSTI Asia Pacific Sexual Health Congress, to discuss the major challenges facing sexual and reproductive health in the region.

The conference is hosted by the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM), and is a joint meeting of the International Union for Sexually Transmitted Infections – Asia Pacific, the NZ Sexual Health Society and the Australasian Sexual Health Alliance (ASHA).

Ahead of the conference, ASHM is highlighting key themes and research in this year’s program, including the results of New Zealand’s first comprehensive sexual health survey, the latest trends in HIV and STI diagnoses in the region, and research into how to counter anti-vaccination arguments.

“This is a truly international conference, and our region is working together to lead the way globally when it comes to understanding and overcoming challenges to delivering sustainable sexual health services,” said ASHM CEO Alexis Apostolellis.

“Not only will this conference bring together the diverse countries of our region to showcase our collaboration when it comes to sexual health, we are also demonstrating what we can achieve when we see partnerships between specialists, GPs, nurses, community, researchers, health promoters and educators.”

The media pack included with this release contains more information, quotes and interview opportunities with experts working in the following areas:

– Highlights from New Zealand’s first comprehensive sexual health survey

– How to counter the arguments of anti-vaxxers

– Challenges facing migrant sex workers in New Zealand

– Trends in STI and HIV diagnoses in Australia, with a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations

– The implications of kissing as a transmission risk for gonorrhoea

– Equity of access to PrEP in Australia, particularly among newly-arrived overseas/Asian-born men who have sex with men

– Trends in STI and HIV diagnoses in Asia and the Pacific, which has some of the highest rates of curable STIs in the world